1And the children of Israel , even the whole congregation , came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month : and the people abode in Kadesh ; and Miriam died there , and was buried there . 2And there was no water for the congregation : and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3And the people strove with Moses , and spake , saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah ! 4And why have ye brought the assembly of Jehovah into this wilderness , that we should die there , we and our beasts ? 5And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt , to bring us in unto this evil place ? it is no place of seed , or of figs , or of vines , or of pomegranates ; neither is there any water to drink .
The Complaint of the People and Moses' Response
6And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tent of meeting , and fell upon their faces : and the glory of Jehovah appeared unto them . 7And Jehovah spake unto Moses , saying , 8Take the rod , and assemble the congregation , thou , and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes , that it give forth its water ; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock ; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink . 9And Moses took the rod from before Jehovah , as he commanded him . 10And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock , and he said unto them , Hear now , ye rebels ; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock ? 11And Moses lifted up his hand , and smote the rock with his rod twice : and water came forth abundantly , and the congregation drank , and their cattle . 12And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed not in me , to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel , therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them . 13These are the waters of Meribah ; because the children of Israel strove with Jehovah , and he was sanctified in them .
The Command to Speak to the Rock
14And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel , Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us : 15how our fathers went down into Egypt , and we dwelt in Egypt a long time ; and the Egyptians dealt ill with us , and our fathers: 16and when we cried unto Jehovah , he heard our voice , and sent an angel , and brought us forth out of Egypt : and , behold , we are in Kadesh , a city in the uttermost of thy border . 17Let us pass , I pray thee , through thy land : we will not pass through field or through vineyard , neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go along the king ’s highway ; we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left , until we have passed thy border . 18And Edom said unto him , Thou shalt not pass through me , lest I come out with the sword against thee . 19And the children of Israel said unto him , We will go up by the highway ; and if we drink of thy water , I and my cattle , then will I give the price thereof : let me only , without doing anything else , pass through on my feet . 20And he said , Thou shalt not pass through . And Edom came out against him with much people , and with a strong hand . 21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border : wherefore Israel turned away from him .
The Consequence of Disobedience
22And they journeyed from Kadesh : and the children of Israel , even the whole congregation , came unto mount Hor . 23And Jehovah spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor , by the border of the land of Edom, saying, 24Aaron shall be gathered unto his people ; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel , because ye rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah . 25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son , and bring them up unto mount Hor ; 26and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son : and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people , and shall die there . 27And Moses did as Jehovah commanded : and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation . 28And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son ; and Aaron died there on the top of the mount : and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount . 29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead , they wept for Aaron thirty days , even all the house of Israel .